I'm sure you have heard the expression "that's just the tip of the iceberg." This statement means that the obvious reasons (what you can see) is not the ultimate reason because there is more to it (what you can't see).
Homeschooling has been on the rise within the last few years due to more school shootings, Common Core and moral corruption. And while these reasons play a part in our decision, they are just the tip of the iceberg.
The foundations (the part of the iceberg you can't see) of why we choose to Homeschool
1. Responsibility. If you have read my blog lately, then you understand that we homeschool our 2 boys. If this is your first time to read it, well, the title of this entry, alone, should reveal the obvious. I've always had the desire but about 6 months ago, my desire turned into responsibility. Our views of how our children should be educated and who should educate our children have changed. Not because of any one event or any one person but, truly, because our perception of responsibility has changed. We began to feel as parents, one of our responsibilities included educating our children. We feel that by allowing the government to educate our children, we are negating one of our responsibilities as parents. We birthed them, we rear them but we couldn't comprehend why we were letting someone else educate them. So, responsibility is one reason.
2. Biblical World View. What is that? Well, it is an apologetic's term regarding how Christians view the world and life. Some people view it from a secularist point, while others view life from a stance of their religion. For us, as Christian parents, we view the world and life from a Biblical World View, meaning we view life according to the Bible and the author of it. Biblical World View is not taught in public schools. Our government, now more so than ever, does not hold to a Biblical World View. It's not supposed to. It's a government not the church. The church (Christ) was, before any government was. God never negates Christian authority to a government...He ordained the church and the Christians who are the church. So, a government is and was not formed to implement a Biblical World View. But wait, weren't our founding fathers, Christians? Didn't they want us to be a Christian nation? Why, yes, most were and most did. But, they formed a government to allow freedom of religion, not to be run by religion. While our laws are based on Judeo Christian beliefs, they were and are not formed to implement or to teach religion. Thus, the government schools weren't implemented to be a means of Christian teaching...in fact, the contrary. The fact that they were originally implemented by the government and run by the government negates any and all Christian responsibility, beliefs and teachings; instead, implementing the beliefs of the government and those who run it. This hasn't changed over the years since the implementation of public school but rather the lack of tolerance of Christian teachings and beliefs in the schools is what has changed, thus, allowing laws to change regarding God in schools. So, since we want our children to have a Biblical World View of life, we believe that includes education, too. And government schools can't educate our children with a Biblical World View.
Why not send them to a private Christian school? Well, that is a possibility. But remember our conviction regarding responsibility...we feel it's our responsibility to educate them. And, financially, it's not possible at this time.
3. Control. Who do we want controlling our children for the biggest part of their growing up years? We, their parents. If we have our children in public school 8 hours of the day, 5 days a week, 180 days of the year for 13 years, (with the very real possibility that this will only increase) we don't have majority of the control. The system has control...a system that doesn't allow a Biblical World View. 8 hours of the day, 5 days a week, 180 days of the year for 13 years, we don't have control. We can't control what the teacher says. We can't control what textbook is being used. We can't control the rules of the system within the class or the school. We can't control the influences our children face. And since we can't control those aspects of our children's lives when in school, we decided to go a route of educating that allows us control.
Wow, sounds like we want to be one of those helicopter parents or one of the controlling type parents who never wants to let their children go. Quite the contrary. God has allowed us to have these children for a time that he orchestrates. We have a God given responsibility to teach them His ways in the time he gives us. With homeschooling being one of the venues we do this, we are able to better prepare our boys for when the time comes to let them go. Kind of like how a soldier is trained before battle. You don't send a soldier into battle without training or teaching. Homeschooling allows us the control to train our boys to be even more ready to pursue God's will when the time comes. But for right now while our boys are still young children, it is their parents, us, who should have majority of control when able. "Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it." ~ Proverbs 22:6. This verse has become a living verse for us, meaning it has life...it's not just words on a page.
So, now for the tip of the iceberg reasons (the obvious)
1. Common Core. I'm not going into a long detailed description of this. It's complicated enough with all the articles and arguments already out there. But in a nutshell, when you dig deep enough into Common Core, it is just another implementation we believe our government uses their power to teach their agenda, their beliefs and teachings. Some refer it as indoctrination. We fully believe it is furthering an indoctrinated agenda. Again, it's the government, it's not obligated to teach anything other than.
2. Safety. There's no denying that due to a morally declining culture that evil becomes more prevalent as experienced with more school shootings, more sexual and physical assaults on children either by their school peers or school staff. Again, here is a responsibility we feel is ours when it comes to physically protecting our children. No, we don't believe the system gives permission to these types of evil acts but the system can't possibly protect them like we can. It goes back to the whole control and responsibility reasons.
3. Moral corruption. There's also no denying, especially if you live by Christian morals, that our culture which includes our government, is increasingly becoming even more morally corrupt. "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." ~ Isaiah 5:20. We don't want our children privy to that corruption any more so or any sooner than they need to be or have to be. Wow, this sounds like we are being overly protective...and you know, you're right. Our culture is corrupt, our children will learn this soon enough without having to be in a school. We teach our children about the evils of the world...we call evil, evil. We don't want a system, that doesn't have a Biblical World View teaching our children what is evil or what is good, we want to do that. And if we didn't expose them to evil, we are failing in our responsibility as Christian parents...it's just that we choose based on godly discernment and wisdom...what to expose them to, when to expose them and how to expose them...instead of allowing or depending on a system to do it for us.
Now that you know our reasons, you need to understand that it's these very reasons, failure is not an option for us when it comes to homeschooling. And in our refusal to fail, we are learning what perseverance means. We are learning what it means to fully rely on God for strength, wisdom and discernment. Bible verses have become living verses to us. They are hidden in our hearts and we recite them over and over for comfort, wisdom, joy and faithfulness. We're learning humility...I'm not perfect, therefore, every aspect of my teaching isn't going to be perfect, thus making for more moments that I need to apologize. We're learning patience. We're learning that God equips the ill-equipped and we are a perfect example of this. We're learning that satan is very real and that he truly wants to not only seek those who are trying to fulfill God's will but he wants to destroy them. He wants to destroy their spirit, their confidence, their faith and their willingness. But even so, God is bigger.
Homeschooling...the responsibility isn't light. It's not some magical guarantee for the future welfare of our children. But even more than what it's not, it's a responsibility we willingly do. It's a lifestyle, one we willingly implement and do with faith and joy but not to dismiss the overwhelm and trials. As parents, homeschooling allows us to be teachers, it allows us to educate our children. I'm learning what a privilege, what an honor and what a blessing this is. And even further, what a privilege, what an honor and what a blessing it will have been when reflecting on motherhood after our children have left home to be the men God called them to be and the men we prayed all those years for them to be.
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